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S. Korean Police Intensifies Crackdown upon Trade Union

Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) — The south Korean police authorities are intensifying the suppression of the Railway Corporation Workers’ Union, according to the south Korean MBC.
Much upset by the daily intensified strike of the union, the National Police Office issued an instruction to strongly deal with it and arrest the strikers.
By this instruction at least 7,000 policemen were deployed in 175 major scenes of strike across south Korea.

On March 3 alone, more than 410 unionists were walked away in Taejon, Phaju of Kyonggi Province, Yongyang of North Kyongsang Province and other areas.
On the same day, the police searched the office of the union in Ryongsan, Seoul, and seized computers and documents related to the strike.

Although the union decided to discontinue the strike on March 4, the police announced that it would arrest 26 leading members of the union for whom warrants of arrest had been issued.

In another development, 58 civic and public organizations including the People’s Solidarity of south Korea held a press conference at the Seoul Office of the union on March 4 at which it made public a statement denouncing the police authorities’ reckless suppression of the union, according to the south Korean KBS.
The organizations in the statement strongly demanded the “government” authorities immediately halt the suppression of the union including the arrest of unionists.